The 2025 Los Angeles Times Festival of Books (LATFOB), held on April 26–27 at the University of Southern California (USC), was a significant cultural event that brought together a diverse array of participants and marked its 30th anniversary with a vibrant celebration of literature, culture, and community. The festival is known for attracting a large crowd each year. For instance, the 2024 festival drew over 150,000 attendees, and the 2025 event featured more than 550 writers, experts, and storytellers, along with hundreds of exhibitors.
The festival featured over 100 ticketed author events, children’s storytelling sessions, poetry readings, book signings, and more than 400 exhibitor booths. Notable participants in the 2025 festival included authors such as Stacey Abrams, Jon M. Chu, Amanda Gorman, Chelsea Handler, Ibram X. Kendi, and Rebecca Yarros, among many others. The festival’s success was also attributed to the generous involvement of volunteers who assisted with various aspects of the event, including welcoming attendees, staffing author events, and supervising book signings.
LATFOB 2025 emphasized accessibility and community involvement. General admission was free, with select programming requiring tickets. The festival’s partnership with the Department of Cultural Affairs ensured that a wide range of activities were available to attendees of all ages and backgrounds, fostering a welcoming environment for literary enthusiasts and families alike.
As LATFOB celebrates three decades of literary celebration, the 2025 festival underscored the importance of storytelling in shaping culture and community. With its diverse programming and commitment to accessibility, the festival continues to be a premier event for book lovers and cultural aficionados. The success of this year’s event sets a promising precedent for future festivals, ensuring that the tradition of literary celebration will continue to thrive in Los Angeles.
LATFOB 2025 offers a unique opportunity to explore new voices, groundbreaking ideas, and thought-provoking works of art. One of this year’s most anticipated entries is Through Heaven’s Vision by Nolan J. Harkness, showcased in the Book Gallery. This Christian speculative fiction novel offers readers an imaginative exploration of what eternity in heaven might look like, grounded in biblical points.
Author and journalist Nolan J. Harkness has followed his calling to be a writer in many ways since childhood. For much of his adult life, he worked in youth and radio ministry. For several years, he also traveled as an evangelist. During this time, he began writing op-eds for a large group of Christian newspapers and contributed to a book titled The Right to Believe, published by The Christian Post. This most recent venture—writing Through Heaven’s Vision, a fantasy fiction novel—he felt was a clear calling from God.
Nolan J. Harkness brings over four decades of experience as a prayer intercessor to this work. His extensive background in youth and radio ministry, along with his contributions to The Right to Believe, informs his approach to storytelling. Harkness views the writing of Through Heaven’s Vision as a divinely inspired calling, aiming to blend his spiritual insights with creative fiction to explore profound theological themes.
The narrative centers on Windrose, a celestial being assigned by God to mentor a select group of individuals. Their mission is to impart essential life lessons in preparation for the ultimate spiritual battle—the battle for the souls of humanity. Through fictional backstories, the book delves into the mysteries of eternal life in heaven, exploring questions such as: What activities might occupy us for eternity? Who might we encounter? Harkness envisions a vibrant golden city where believers could engage in activities such as flying with angels, experiencing visual time travel, and conversing with biblical figures—including Jesus Himself.
The novel invites readers to contemplate profound questions about the afterlife, divine purpose, and spiritual warfare. Early reviews highlight the book’s engaging narrative and scripturally grounded insights. One reviewer noted, “This book has the distinction of being one of a very few nonfiction books (apart from biographies) that I read in just a few sittings… In between my reading sessions, I found myself thinking about what I learned about heaven.“
Through Heaven’s Vision offers readers a thought-provoking journey into the possibilities of eternal life, blending imaginative storytelling with scriptural reflection. It’s a compelling read for those interested in Christian fiction that explores the afterlife through a biblically inspired lens.
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